Kristin's Top 5 Fall Trends of 2013!!! Part II

Hey it's Kristin!!!

5 Fall trends I'm crushing on for 2013!!! Part II

The Shopping List!!!
Happy Thanksgiving Eve! I decided to try something different and break up my top five fall trend post. It always seems to take a long time to collect all the photos and information. I have to do a lot of research to find my five trends, select photos from dozens of designers who usually have 'ready to wear' and 'couture' collections for the same season, then find items online at my favorite shopping sites to create that particular look I discussed that you can purchase if you want. This past Wednesday, I posted my top five favorite trends for the season with photos from the designers who showed the trends in their collections. Today I wanted to show you some of my selections that you can get today should your heart desire. Most of the sites are sites I shop regularly. Since we all have different budgets, I selected many different price points from the trendy store to the high-end department store. Check out my selections and refresh your wardrobe!

5. White on White 

I have never been a fan of white for myself though I love the way it looks on everyone else. I will admit I have been very afraid of it for many reasons. White is not forgiving when it comes to size or stains and I am not a very small girl past my short stature nor am I very careful. Clumsy should be my middle name. This all white trend is beautiful though and has inspired me. I pulled together a complete white look for you today. In a perfect world I can imagine myself wearing this, at least until I was ready to eat or drink. It would have to be an all clear food day with an emergency stain removing kit on hand. Check out my completely white look!

1. Coal Emma Hat Antique White 6pm.com $54.99

2. MICHAEL Michael Kors Cassandra Belted Trench zappos.com $134

3. Pure Serenity Sweater Modcloth.com $47.99

4. Ann Taylor Corduroy Pants Winter White $59.99-$79.99

5. Style&co. Mickay Boots Winter White $79

4. Emerald 

 I love the idea of bright and bold colors. Bright colors have been proven to improve our moods and the moods of those around us. When I am having a bad morning, I throw on a bright color and some make-up. Really it helps! Last week, of all the bright colors designers showed for the season, I selected emerald for my color to focus on for my season trend list. Since then I have located some fun emerald pieces that I personally love. Check them out!

1.  Emerald Mink Faux Fur Perfect Little Jacket fabulousfurs.com $149

2. Belle Badgley Mischka Crepe  Faux-Leather Peplum Dress dillards.com $149

3. Elvira Sazesh Emerald Green Suede Bracelet boticca.com $71

4. DianeVon Furstenberg Sutra Mini Shoulder Bag  saksfifthavenue.com $295 

5. Jessica Simpson Shirley Pump amazon.com $33.99-$79.99

3. Leather

Leather is one of the most expensive trends this season. I always advise starting at the thrift store for vintage leather and sometimes you get lucky and find some current pieces that someone decided just wasn't for them. If you must shop for new leather, the leather look aka 'vegan leather' is just as fun. Some of the leather look pieces I have seen have been so close to real that I must admit I have almost been fooled a few times. Either way leather will always have a place in our closets during the cold seasons. I see this purchase as an investment. This is true unless the leather piece is a pair of overalls, a trend that we saw sprouting last spring/summer that will be even bigger this coming spring. A pair of vegan leather overalls would be the way to go since this is probably not going to be a long lasting trend. A genuine leather skirt will probably be something you will get to wear many times over the years. Check out some of the real and faux leather pieces I love!

1. ASOS Overalls in Leather Look asos.com $86.32

2. BCBG MAXAZRIA Laika Leather Mini Skirt Dark Poppy zappos.com $138

3. Betsey Johnson Laser Cut Faux Leather Dress betseyjohnson.com $168

4.  Mason by Micheele Mason Leather Paneled Printed Dress net-a-porter.com $495

5. Metallic Leather Swing Tee TopShop $190

2. Plaid

Plaid comes in so many color options. I love red plaids or a plaid with at least a little red in it. I am sure that is evident with my selections. After the Met Gala with it's Punk themed exhibits, I noticed a lot of designers showed lots of plaid, creating preppy and punk looks with it. To recap, my favorite looks came from the Moschino collection. The collection included completely plaid pantsuits with matching hats. It was great for runway purposes but for everyday, I suggest one piece of plaid at a time. These are a few of my selections.

1. Arts Thread X UO Nicolette Plaid Dress Urban Outfitters $99

2. Topshop Plaid Tube Skirt Nordstrom $48

3. Lovers + Friends 'Days Like These' Drape Front Jacket  Nordstrom $148

4. Vivienne Westwood Flutter W1056 zappos.com  $485

5. LAUREN Ralph Lauren Tartan Touch Glove zappos.com $45

1. Beanies

My favorite trend is also the cheapest if you know where to shop. While I really love the different options for beanies this season, I will probably end up buying most of my beanies from the same place I buy my hair products. Being a creative person, I can always turn a couple beanies into DIY projects to create some of the same fancy beanie looks I ran across browsing the web for this post. In fact that sounds like a brilliant future post. DIY beanies!  I love cheap but I also really love the beanies I found for you no matter the price. I may not buy them all for myself but I do really love them. You can find beanies in fur, patterns, with ears and even embellished with rhinestones, crystals and sequins. Check out some of the fun ones I selected as my favorites!

1. Le Clement Rabbit Fur Beanie farfetch.com $185.18

2. Sweet Polka Dot Beanie forever21.com $8.80

3. Grey Knitted Pug Hat dorothyperkins.com $21

4. Fur Pom Cable Beanie topshop.com $28

5. Silver Spoon Attire Beanie with Mesh Netting  farfetch.com  $112.39
6. Heavy Embellished Beanie topshop.com $40

Look for more on my top five trends soon!

What are your favorite trends this season? Lets us know!

Be blessed! Be free! Be fashionable!

Kris,

Kristin's Top 5 Fall Trends of 2013!!!

Hey it's Kristin!!!

5 Fall trends I'm crushing on for 2013!!!

I tried my best to have this posted before October ended but it has been quite a busy few months. It is now officially winter in most places but the post is better late than never. This fall/winter I have embraced somethings that I never thought I would, one of those being the all white trend. Winter whites are all  over and I am thinking I will join in on the all white fun. I also welcomed back one of my favorites from last year, leather. There were some interesting leather looks on the runway like the 'leather feather fur' that Karl Lagerfeld created for the Fendi's fall/winter collection.  I always embrace color and prints each fall even when it isn't a huge trend. This year is no different. The thing I am most excited about is the simplest and cheapest trend of them all. It will keep me warm even when I am going out on the town in my party dress. Check out my favorite trends this fall/winter! 

5. White on White 

I  have mostly stayed away from white. Should I ever get married I never imagine wearing white even on my wedding day. The end of last year I bought an off-white jumper and though I have only worn it once, I have grown to appreciate it as one of the few whitish items in my closet other than a couple cardigans. Thanks to the inspiration of Olivia Pope and designers like Anna Sui, The Row and Gareth Pugh who showed white in their shows for fall/winter 2013, I am thinking it is time to expand my horizons.  For those of you like me, lets add at least a white coat or a pair of pants to our wardrobe this year. Those of you who have been wearing your white for quite some time, keep up your courageous work.

c/o style.com left to right: Anna Sui, Gareth Pugh , Proenza Schouler

4. Emerald 

I will always be a fan of color, maybe a color fanatic is more the truth. This season color is big. Designers showed a variety of bright colors but I decided to focus on one for this list. Emerald is bold and bright. It is a color I have just begun to add to my closet as well. Some of my favorite looks for the season came from Monique Lhuillier. The color was shown in many collections including Chanel and Christian Dior's couture collections. This color will be great for a holiday party dress. For those of you who are shy about color, handbags and shoes in emerald will make just as much of a statement without overwhelming you.

c/o style.com left to right: Chanel, Christian Dior & Monique Lhuillier

3. Leather

Anyone who knows me knows I love leather as much as I love fur. It doesn't much matter if the leather is real or faux. It is no surprise that it had a large presence in fall collections this year.  Karl Lagerfeld showed my favorite pieces though with a textured leather look he created called 'leather feather fur'. Though I won't get to sport his particular look, I look forward to wearing some great leather pieces. Since leather can get pretty expensive, browse your thrift stores or consider leather-look pieces.

c/o style.com & harpersbazaar.com  left to right: Fendi (leather feather fur), Calvin Klein & Prada

2. Plaid 

I have always been a fan of prints. Plaid was among some of the prints that were shown on the runway for fall along with animal prints, paisleys, hounds-tooth and many more options. I choose plaid because it has been easy to find and looks great with leather to create a punk look. The punk look is a trend I am super excited about carrying over into spring. I hated plaid when I had to wear it everyday the year I went to Catholic school but now that it is an option, I welcome it with open arms. I love the Moschino campaign. The house created my favorite pieces and looks for the season. Though I do not plan to wear a complete plaid look, it's too much all at once in real life but a great plaid coat or blazer will be fun for the holidays, the office and for brunch with the girls.

The Moschino Fall/Winter 2013 Campaign 

1. Beanies

My favorite season trend is the beanie. Yes, it is simple and it has been a winter staple for quite some time now but I love the idea of wearing the hat with dressier attire. The little things excite me! Imagine, you are going to a holiday party in a sparkly dress and it's snowing and cold outside. You have on your coat and a solid color beanie. You get inside and instead of rushing to the ladies room to fix your scary hat hair, your hat is part of your look. It is a natural hair girl's dream! This is my must staple for the season. The beanie is cheap and  super chic.  Get a few for variety!  

c/o style.com left to right: Rebecca Minkoff, Alice & Olivia,  Rochas

Look for part II of my top five trends with shopping selections for each trend soon.

What trends will you embrace this season?

Be blessed! Be free! Be fashionable!

Kris,

Chris's/Kris's Closet (Kristin) November 3, 2013

Kris's Closet

In this blog post you will get a glimpse of pieces in my closet,learn where I found them

 and where I wore them.  

My name is Kristin. Welcome to my closet!

I realize as I get older, I am an equal opportunity closet raider. I have raided the closets of my mom, dad, grandma and even grandpa. Sunday I wore a suede fedora that belonged to my grandfather. The hat was a perfect accessory for the weather. It was a cool fall day so with the close of my birthday week and month, I decided I wanted to get brunch and take a walk somewhere. After a slightly disappointing brunch at Cap City, I headed to High Banks Park where I took my photos. Although I love the fall colors, I hate that it means cold weather is just around the corner. This is what I wore.

Blouse: thrift store

Sweater:thrift store

Jeans:Paige Denim

Shoes: lace-less brown and white oxfords by Not Too Coy

Earrings: Betsey Johnson Knife Edge Hoops 

Bracelets: vintage copper cuffs from thrift stores

Necklace: I got this necklace for $0.25 at a flea market!

I try to avoid a jacket whenever possible by layering up. The temperature was in the 60's so I wore a sweater over a 70's vintage paisley button-up. I have always loved blues and browns together. I am also loving mixing the feminine and masculine together lately so this look was inspired by both my grandpa and mom. 

What do you think about my look?

Be blessed! Be free! Be fashionable!

Kris,

Thursday's Inspiration

For some odd reason I decided to go back into retail full-time, forgetting how much I dislike the hectic schedule, and the whole retail life in general. But, I'm making the most of it, I love my co workers so that helps. Last week, we were browsing through our Holiday Style Guide to see how we are merchandising the store, and I was excited to see that we were showcasing the bright color trend for Fall.

As I was getting excited my co-workers proceeded to say " bright colors aren't for fall", I explained to them that this neon color palette is on trend for this season of cold days. They didn't believe me, so being the Virgo that I am I had to give them proof, naming designers who did show the color scheme on the runway. I love bright colors, and I'm enjoying them moreso than the jewel tones and muted color palette.

Here's some inspiration to get you geared up for the season!

This is the full color palette for Fall. As you can see there are many brighter bolder colors as well as pastels, and jewel tones.

Photo courtesy of: http://patternscolorsdesign.wordpress.com/

Several designers showcased this trend, take a look:

Photos Courtesy of : www.style.com L-R Erin Fetherston,Stella McCartney,Jean Paul Gaultier

Photos Courtesy of: www.style.com L-R Nanette Lepore,Marc Jacobs,Stella McCartney

Photos Courtesy of: www.style.com L-R Schiaparelli,Alice + Olivia,Christian Dior

Do you like bright colors for Fall?

Until Next Time,Ciao!

*Chris*

Chris's/Kris's Closet (Kristin) October 27, 2013

Kris's Closet

In this blog post you will get a glimpse of pieces in my closet,learn where I found them

 and where I wore them.  

My name is Kristin. Welcome to my closet!

Sunday I took a Taco Truck Tour through Columbus Food Adventures. It was the anniversary date of the first tour I took with them in German Village last year as part of my Birthday present. I had so much fun last year I decide to schedule two tours for this year's Birthday celebration. My birthday was yesterday but I celebrate a whole month usually. Last year the German Village tour was a walking tour where we learned about the history of the part of town and ate our way through. This year's Taco Truck Tour was a van tour with six stops that were full of great food and information. I learned that there were so many items that I never would have ordered had I not had this experience. They sell a lot more than tacos and burritos. I took these photos on the tour, this is what I wore.

Blouse: thrift store

Fur Vest:thrift store

Jeans:Paige Denim

Boots:second hand 80's vintage from etsy

Earrings: Betsey Johnson Paris Heart Lips 5 Piece Stud Set

Bracelets: Artemis Cuff by Stella & Dot + Pyramid hand bracelet

from Nordstrom

I was in the mood for color and print. Prints are big this season and fur has been in for many seasons now including this past spring. I wanted to be comfortable and warm since it was an evening tour. Instead of a bulky coat, I opted for a fur vest. I threw on my flat color block over-the-knee boots. Over-the-knee boots are also back this fall/winter season.

The blouse I paid $0.69 at a thrift store just outside of Dayton.
The rabbit fur vest was $20 at the Ohio Thrift store a few winters ago.

I had been eye balling this Betsey Johnson Paris Heart Lips stud set for a month and finally decided to indulge. I loved the idea of this set because I have a lot of piercings especially on my left ear. I am also a big fan of the asymmetrical look. Check out her site for more of these fun sets!

I have had these 80's over-the-knee color-block boots for a few years now and I am always excited to wear them. I originally paid about $70 for them. They are my favorite boots.

Me in front of the Columbus Food Adventures tour van

Grabbing more tacos at our first stop after the tour.

What do you think about my look?

Be blessed! Be free! Be fashionable!

Kris,

Style Adventures Vol. 15 (Columbus,Ohio)

STYLE ADVENTURES 

(Columbus,OH 10/13)

This post is about how to add to your wardrobe using antique shops, thrift stores, yard sales and other venues. We travel Ohio and beyond discovering unique and stylish items we want to share and the places we found them.

Earlier this month on a Sunday I went to a local vendor event, that a friend of mine was a part of. Take a look at some of my favorite artists.

The event was at Franklin Park Conservatory, if you have not been there you must go. It really is a hidden gem, such a beautiful space. Kristin and I go fairly often for happy hour events. When I pulled up, there were cars everywhere and signs for valet parking, I was thinking "Wow, this event is huge", but I later found out there was a wedding going on at the same time.

When I first walked into the event I noticed the same type of vendors I usually notice at artisan events here in Columbus, Healthy food vendors,Ohio State Buckeye trinkets,oven mitts, well you get the idea. I was thinking my friend would not fit in at the event and I didn't see her table. As I entered the second room, I saw some more unique/creative vendors.

So as I am writing this I see that all of my notes have been erased out of my ipad...ughhh, darn technology. So now I am writing what I remember. Note to self: use old school notebook next time.

Copper Curious

The first designer that caught me eye was Lisa McLymont. Her pieces were very simple, but creative. Just by looking at the table I could tell how much detail went into each piece. As I started talking to her, she told me that she was a graphic designer, even giving me tips on my personal business cards, and offering assistance with my logo, if needed.

After talking with Lisa for a while, I found out that she specializes in home decor, but does many events where jewelry is just smaller and more accessible. She speaks with so much passion about her work, I had to quote this directly from her facebook page: " I made my connection to copper and it’s wonders through jewelry making, and now use it to solve all sorts of challenges. Besides it’s warm sheen and easy malleability, I’ve come to enjoy illustrating with this metal. Drawing with a 3-dimensional line is constantly an exercise in the creative use of problem solving, patience, focus and imagination. Making each piece is also like choreographing a dance. well. the way I think choreographers choreograph. :D"

I love that every piece is handmade, hammered and molded by the artist herself. Be sure to check her out!

FunkiLovely

I finally saw my fried Lisa Scott's table. I absolutely love her jewelry it is so creative and out of the box. Her brand is called funkilovely. Have you ever me someone who is so encouraging and inspiring, and after you have a conversation with them, you leave with good vibes? She is very much that type of person, I love talking to her.

She would not allow me to take a pic of her, claiming she's not photogenic, but I don't believe her. I stole this pic from her facebook page. 

When you see Lisa's designs you will see a lot of denim,beads and leather. She has everything from statement necklaces,rings,wrist cuffs,foot jewelry and more. Her pictures speak for themselves.

Branching Creations

As I walking through the vendors, these colorful bangles caught my eye. I had to go over to the table. This is where I met Julie Macala, creator of "Branching Creations". After talking to Julie, I learned that she has always been a visual artist, moreso with sketching and drawing. She explained to me that now she just has a different canvas and draws on wood with wood burning, even including color using watercolors and colored pencils.

Everything is handmade and created in her home in Clintonville. Julie also does custom orders, along with plaques, jewelry boxes and more. 

Thank you to all of the artists for allowing me to feature you. To find out more information about them please click on the underlined company names.

Until Next Time, Ciao!

*Chris*

Chris's/Kris's Closet (Kristin) October 12, 2013

Kris's Closet

In this blog post you will get a glimpse of pieces in my closet,learn where I found them

 and where I wore them.  

My name is Kristin. Welcome to my closet!

Saturday was date day with my guy. He needed some new boots so we headed to Nelsonville, Ohio for the Rocky Boot Outlet.There we checked out the little stores downtown and a restaurant called Rhapsody.Then we headed to Rockside Vineyards in Lancaster, Ohio and we ended the night eating our way through the Fairfield County Fair. I took my photos downtown in Nelsonville. This is what I wore.

Jacket:Gap (Thrift store purchase)

Shirt: Jones New York (Thrift store purchase)

Pencil Skirts: Forever 21

Clutch:thrift store purchase

Shoes: smoking slippers with tassels (etsy.com)

Jewelry: necklace(vintage),pyramid hand bracelet(Nordstrom),

ladybug ring by Kenneth Jay Lane, rose earrings (flea market)

Belt: white patent leather and gold chain (thrift store purchase)

With the weather transitioning, I am still wearing things that feel kind of summery but adding layers to keep myself warm. It was nice out Saturday but I threw on my Gap denim jacket to catch the little chill in the air.

This season pencil skirts are in and so is emerald green.I was given this high-waisted skirt by my sister and loved it. 

The rose button up is appearing here for the second time. I originally paid 0.99 for it at a thrift store in Dayton. I loved the rose shirt with the skirt even though it was a lot of red and green. You can wear the two colors together even if it isn't Christmas, they are complimentary colors after all.

I am wearing my favorite vintage necklace. A friend bought it for me a while ago. This is the first opportunity I have gotten to wear it. It is a really yellow gold and lots of pearls so it is not something that you can wear with a lot.

The day clutch is still very much in. I have had this red leather clutch a while and I love any opportunity to carry it.

What do you think about my look?

Be blessed! Be free! Be fashionable!

Kris,